1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of integrated optical modules, in particular integrated camera devices with an image capturing element, such as a CCD sensor, and at least one lens element for imaging an object on the image capturing element, e.g. a refractive and/or diffractive lens. Integrated device means that all components are arranged in a well defined spatial relationship. Such integrated camera devices are, for example, cameras of mobile phones which are preferably manufactured in a mass production process at low cost.
More concretely, the invention relates to an optical module for a camera device comprising a baffle that defines a predetermined field of view (FOV) of the image capturing element, while suppressing beam paths coming from points outside this FOV. The invention further relates to a wafer scale package representing a plurality of such optical modules, to a baffle substrate with a plurality of baffles and to methods for manufacturing a plurality of optical modules for camera devices and for manufacturing a baffle substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
Especially in the field of mobile phones with cameras, but also for other applications, it is desirable to have a camera device that can be mass produced at low cost in an as simple process as possible and still has a good image quality. Such camera devices comprise an image capturing element and at least one lens element arranged along a common axis and are known from WO 2004/027880, for example. The known camera devices are manufactured on a wafer scale by replicating a plurality of lens elements on a disk-like substrate (wafer), stacking and connecting the substrates to form a wafer scale package (wafer stack) and dicing the stack in order to separate the individual camera devices from one another.
The camera devices are integrated optical modules, which include functional elements such as the image capturing element and the at least one lens stacked together along the general direction of light propagation. These elements are arranged in a predetermined spatial relationship with respect to one another (integrated device) such that further alignment with each other is not needed, leaving only the integrated device as such to be aligned with other systems.
Wafer-scale replication of lens elements allows the fabrication of several hundreds of generally identical devices with a single step, e.g. a single or double-sided UV-embossing process. Replication techniques include injection molding, roller hot embossing, flat-bed hot embossing, UV embossing. As an example, in the UV embossing process, the surface topology of a master structure is replicated into a thin film of a UV-curable replication material such as an UV curable epoxy resin on top of a substrate. The replicated surface topology can be a refractive or a diffractive optically effective structure, or a combination of both. For replicating, a replication tool bearing a plurality of replication sections that are a negative copy of the optical structures to be manufactured is prepared, e.g. from a master. The tool is then used to UV-emboss the epoxy resin. The master can be a lithographically fabricated structure in fused silica or silicon, a laser or e-beam written structure, a diamond turned structure or any other type of structure. The master may also be a submaster produced in a multi stage generation process by replication from a (super) master.
A substrate or wafer in the meaning used in this text is a disc or a rectangular plate or a plate of any other shape of any dimensionally stable, often transparent material. The diameter of a wafer disk is typically between 5 cm and 40 cm, for example between 10 cm and 31 cm. Often it is cylindrical with a diameter of either 2, 4, 6, 8 or 12 inches, one inch being about 2.54 cm. The wafer thickness is for example between 0.2 mm and 10 mm, typically between 0.4 mm and 6 mm.
If light needs to travel through the substrate, the substrate is at least partially transparent. Preferably, especially if CMOS sensors are present, at least one of the optical surfaces comprises a coating acting as an IR cutoff filter. Otherwise, the substrate can be nontransparent as well. In case of a camera device, at least one substrate bears electro-optical components, like the image capturing element, and may thus be a silicon or GaAs or other semiconductor based wafer; it may also be a CMOS wafer or a wafer carrying CCD arrays or an array of Position Sensitive Detectors.
Such integrated optical modules can be manufactured by stacking wafers along the axis corresponding to the direction of the smallest wafer dimension (axial direction). The wafers comprise functional elements, like lens elements or image capturing elements, in a well defined spatial arrangement on the wafer. By choosing this spatial arrangement in an adequate way, a wafer stack comprising a plurality of generally identical integrated optical modules can be formed, wherein the elements of the optical module have a well defined spatial relationship with respect to one another.
By spacers, e.g. a plurality of separated spacers or an interconnected spacer matrix as disclosed in US 2003/0010431 or WO 2004/027880, the wafers can be spaced from one another, and lens elements can also be arranged between the wafers on a wafer surface facing another wafer.
It is known to place a baffle in front of the top lens element of a camera device. A baffle is an element that defines a three-dimensional passage for light but is otherwise intransparent for light. In a camera device, a baffle serves to define a field of view (FOV) of the image capturing element and to suppress beam paths coming from points outside this FOV. Known baffles consist of a layer of non-transparent material having a given thickness in an axial direction and a through-hole for light transmission with normally varying cross sectional areas. In known baffles, the through-hole has the shape of a truncated cone with a given extent in the axial direction and given opening angle. The thickness as well as the angle of the side walls of the through hole determines the FOV and the critical angle (collection angle) under which incident light can pass the baffle and enter the camera device. It is often desired that the collection angle does not exceed a predetermined value. This is because light entering the device under higher angles is stray light and/or may not directly fall onto the photosensitive part of the image capturing element but may hit the photosensitive part only after one or more reflections inside the camera device. This may lead to artifacts in the image generated by the image capturing element, and, thus, to a reduced image quality.
Known baffles have thus a thickness of several 100 μm (e.g. 100-300 μm) and side walls of the through hole which are tapered with respect to the normal direction of the front wall baffle such that an opening with a varying cross section having a diameter in the range of 1-3 mm is formed. This, among other parameters of the sensor and optical system, restricts the full angle of the field of view to about 40 to 80°. A disadvantage of such baffles are reflections at the side walls of the through hole which also lead to artifacts in the image generated by the image capturing element, and thus to a reduced image quality. Reduction of the area of the side walls, however, is not possible, because this would lead to an increased collection of unwanted stray light.
Known baffles are normally injection molded parts. They are attached to the integrated camera device only after its complete manufacture, i.e. after the dicing step if a wafer scale manufacturing process is employed. This is not compatible with low cost wafer scale manufacture of the optical modules. The additional steps of attaching each individual baffle to each individual camera device associated therewith is time-consuming and complicated and thus another disadvantage of known modules and manufacturing processes.
A further disadvantage is that the optical system, or at least the top lens element, is fully accessible via the through hole. This may lead to damage and contamination.
WO 2005/041561 discloses a camera module and manufacturing method thereof, where a semiconductor housing comprises a solid-state image sensor and a lens element located above the solid-state sensor. The housing forms a shield against laterally scattered radiation, by having at least one plate of transparent material of which two sides are covered with a radiation-opaque layer which is provided with an aperture. The aperture in the layer, close to the sensor, has a smaller surface than the aperture in the layer located remote from the sensor. The lens element is formed in a transparent substrate which is sandwiched in between the image sensor and the plate with the apertures. This construction has the disadvantage that the number of optical interfaces (e.g. air/glass) is increased, leading to losses due to reflections at these faces.